Rollers star 'down to his last £6,000' as he admits drink-driving

Published on Saturday 3 December 2005 02:07

FORMER Seventies pop star Les McKeown was yesterday revealed to be down to his last few thousand pounds as a court convicted him of drink- driving.

The Bay City Rollers' singer was given an 18-month ban from the roads, fined 1,000 and ordered to pay 846 costs after admitting drink-driving.

During the hearing it was revealed that McKeown, who was convicted of reckless driving in 1976 after he struck and killed a pensioner, is down to his last 6,000.

McKeown, 50, got a dressing-down in the dock for "playing games with the court" and behaving "atrociously" after crashing his car in Islington, north London, in July 2004.

Thames Magistrates Court heard that McKeown, who notched up nine UK top ten hits including two number ones with the band, was now mainly playing charity gigs.

District judge Jacqueline Comyns gave the singer a ticking off for changing his plea three times since the incident, and said driving without insurance could have "disastrous" results for the other driver involved.

McKeown, who was twice the legal limit, admitted driving with excess alcohol and without insurance. He was fined 1,000 and ordered to pay costs of 846, as well as being disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Afterwards, he apologised for his "terrible mistake", and joked: "You couldn't lend me a couple of grand could you?"

John Coates, prosecuting, told the court that McKeown had 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

The court heard the singer turned right in his car, causing another vehicle to drive into his side and leaving McKeown's car stuck on a traffic island.

Witnesses reported McKeown leaving the scene of the accident and threatening passers-by who tried to get him to wait for police.

His counsel, Stuart Biggs, told the court that his client was effectively an unemployed musician. Quizzed by the judge on what McKeown lived on, he said: "Currently in his bank account he has savings of 6,000. He lives on his savings and money he gets from time to time for those concerts he does that are not for charity."

Mr Coates said that after being arrested and breathalysed, McKeown told police he had not been the driver of the Volvo estate involved in the accident, and did not even know anyone who owned such a car.

McKeown initially denied the charges, but changed his plea to guilty on the date set for his trial in May this year, only to deny them once more a week later and plead guilty again yesterday, which had been due to be the start of his trial.

McKeown said afterwards: "I want to unreservedly apologise for my serious lapse in behaviour. It was totally wrong of me to drive my car after drinking alcohol and it is a decision that I totally regret. I made a terrible mistake - one that could have tragic consequences - and I'm grateful no-one was physically hurt because of my actions."